Spirans Tenebris
by Wildeve of the Heath
Summary: The darkness, it waits for all, and if Krista listens hard enough, she could hear the darkness breathe all around. It was maddening at first but after a while, she grew accustomed to it, and to more that came after the breathing. Late 1800s!AU
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Spirans Tenebris

The darkness, it waits for all, and if Krista listens hard enough, she could hear the darkness breathe all around. It was maddening at first but after a while, she grew accustomed to it, and to more that came after the breathing.

AN: The timeline for this story will be based in the late 1800s, location is the Pacific Northwest, Washington, though these are only for references. Heavily inspired by Alan Wake, basically fantasy/supernatural all up in here, so enjoy this!

* * *

"...50mL, should be enough to get over the pain," she said briskly, the tapping of her shoes clicked against the wood as she strode to a cabinet and undid the little latch. Her accent, it sounded English...British English of sorts.

A clank of bottles, a dash of light shone over her eyes, piercing the darkness.

"Alright, don't be off and running again, just stay at home, rest. I mean it, Jean. Else I'll start charging you more- I have a business to run, not a charity."

"Sure, Doc," Jean answered, shifting about in bed, then getting up to replace his boots to his feet- he sounded like a young person. "How much is it this time?"

"Three, cash, bring it up to Moblit on the front desk," she told him. "Now as for...you."

The person stopped at her side, Krista opened her eyes and saw a blur of a white coat, she drew her eyes up to see the messy brown locks loosened from the ponytail. Behind a pair of smart glasses, the doctor looked over the files, then placed it near her.

"Finally waking up," she told her, beaming brightly,"thought this was your quarters? Well, you're quite wrong, these are for the patients, though you must have been dead tired from traveling. Can't blame you, I used to travel a lot myself, slept in all sorts of places, name it, I may have been there. Didn't Moblit show you your room?"

Krista shook her head as she sat up, confused though she knew exactly where she was, for the most part. She must have been so tired to have even forgotten where she was supposed to be at the moment. She blinked once or twice, then found her trunk sitting in another bed to the right, opposite of the doctor. "I...no, I don't think so."

"No matter, you're here, and it's best to put you to work within the week, not much happens anyway," she said,"I'm Doctor Hanji Zoe, you may call me Doc, Doctor, Hanji, but professionally, stick to the first two, alright? Up you get, come on, you got to carry your trunk, I'm not as strong like before."

She got her legs over the edge of the bed and got up, finding herself still dressed as she was from last night- casual but clean. She grabbed her and rolled it out as she followed Hanji closely. "Sorry for not, um, waking up or anything, I arrived her late at night, ferry had some troubles with the steam and it took a while to get here from the other side. Some woman in black mourning habit pointed me to go here."

Hanji waved it away. "Oh, accidents happen, not much can be done if they're out of your control."

She noticed that she walked with a slower gait with her cane.

They traversed through the clean hallways of the clinic, the floors were of wood, along with some of the walls halfway to Hanji's hip. They looked old yet they were kept well and clean over time, it wasn't until there was a break in the wall and a corner. From there, Hanji stopped at a door and opened it for Krista, she gave her the key and stopped her.

Krista paused for a moment as the woman propped her cane to the side and went to hold Krista's face, examining each side of her, fingers at her throat and resting there.

She got a closer look at her dark, chocolate eyes hidden by a smart pair of spectacles.

"My, you do have lovely eyes...you're as healthy as a horse as well, you'll do well here," Hanji murmured, she then ushered her inside. "Now, I suppose Moblit had given you the tour?"

Krista nearly tripped on her skirt as she rushed right in, settling her trunk on the floor. Krista stared at her, then shook her head.

"Goodness...may as well give you one, though I don't mind. Young blood, always the most fun to deal with. Come, come, come," Hanji beckoned her.

Unlike Krista, the good Doctor wore slacks and a vest over a yellow dress shirt. A chain hung across her torso, indicating she took time of anything, then there was a stethoscope around her neck. Hair tied up in a bushy ponytail, she looked like she hadn't washed up in days though her lively personality brought disregard.

"Your father has left you under my care, Lod Reiss," Hanji recalled,"funny name, Lod, Lod, Lod, Lod..."

"It is, now that I think about it."

It was just one day, she was sleeping, comfortable in her home in Seattle, then suddenly, her father had her rushing out on the train and shoving her out into the wilderness. She didn't remember anything other than the trees whirling out of sight from the carriage windows. Krista felt blessed that she could see the outside through the windows- it felt like an endless ride, time was lost among the dirt paths.

"My driver, his name was Kenny Ackerman I think, did he stay?"

Hanji shook her head. "No, he had to go back to Seattle for the time being. Important matters, you know your father."

"Not exactly," Krista murmured.

"Oh? He never told you why you got here," Hanji mused,"you can use this time to recover form your ailment."

Krista gave a slow nod. She was, indeed quite happy to have left her home rather quickly- there was nothing to do there, no one to talk to, always locked up. Not even her mother's face would be seen at any point of time in years though she caught glimpses of her. She remained quiet as she followed her closely.

"Regardless, I am glad you're here, you'll fit right in I believe," Hanji said reassuringly, lighting Krista's small spirit. "Here we have the front lobby- you will work at the front desk, answering the phone, so on and so on. If anyone comes here, you call for me or Moblit on the small string on the wall, rings a bell system."

"Like one of those for the servants back home," Krista recalled.

"Exactly...then back there, in that hall, is for rehabilitation, rest and so on. On the west part is for operations, research, upstairs is the lounge and library for anyone to relax, comfy place."

They went throughout the building, encountering a blond man she grew to learn was Moblit. The clinic was furnished spartan, only keeping what was needed.

"Do you understand this?" Hanji asked.

"Yes, I understand."

"Right, then, why don't you walk with me into town. Lovely place, people are there, nice and very well," Hanji offered, and to this, Krista held her arm around hers when she gave it to her, allowing her to be escorted. "This town was established fairly recently, around a decade ago. Only an inn, saloon, and my own clinic were here. Grown little by little over time, though the Natives tend to throw a good fight once in a while, says were trespassing on their grounds."

Krista's eyes perked up. "Natives? Like those savages? They live here, don't they?"

"Used to, miners drove them out but some that lived elsewhere do pop into this town here once in a while. They wish to be alone though some conduct trade, everyone out here is trying to survive so it's in our best interest to help one another out. Besides, there are other things the Natives concern themselves with...much more than us, but now that I think about it, they've been acting up lately. Perhaps a comeback, no matter, we're safe here."

They walked near the port where the market was surprisingly active. People were here came here often to gather supplies for their trip further north for the Yokun and for the gold.

Going on and on, she learned that there was a bookstore, a market, church, municipal buildings, it was a hubbub of activity from all sorts of life. Walking by, she saw a man dressed oddly in what looked like a dress though she realized it was a tunic, he wore a straw hat with a wide brim and then had a thick lock of hair braided- she saw more of them in one tavern.

"Chinese, hardworking people," Hanji commented.

"I think I remember those sort of people."

Hanji pressed on, Krista helping her along.

The sound of hooves came clonking from a distance, nearing them and slowing to a stop behind them. Hanji hummed in her throat and then turned around, looking up to find a short man with a partially shaved undercut. Krista raised a brow as he handed Hanji a piece of parchment and she thanked him. She looked over it briefly and murmured,"Another one?"

"It's been happening a lot lately," he told her,"what do you say now?"

"Not yet."

He looked down at Krista as though she would explain the situation tied to his message, she remained quiet. He gave a curt nod and told the Doctor.

And with that, he turned his horse around and cantered away and out down the open street.

Krista stared but she was gently tugged.

"Don't mind him, he's nicer than that," Hanji assured her,"sorry if I cut this short, but I have to attend to Levi and his thing...hm, ah. Just my luck. Stay here."

Hanji limped away to the wharf where someone stood alone, watching the river and gazing at the other side of the shore. She tapped the person on the shoulder and Hanji spoke to her, then gestured towards Krista.

A woman adorning freckles upon tan skin and eyes colder than snow yet playful as a child's. She was tall, wearing a trench coat over a blazer, then underneath that was some sort of vest- an ascot was wrapped under her collar and tucked behind the vest itself. She looked rather rugged as though she lived as one with the people. She followed Hanji and stared down at Krista as though she were trying to read her.

"This is Ymir, Krista. She is one of the locals here," Hanji said, chipper,"she will take you back to the clinic. I've showed her the place, just bring her back."

"Course, Doc," Ymir told her, then offered Krista an arm. "Take it you're the young blood she's been told to care for. You'll either love this place or hate it."

"No in between?" Krista asked as they watched Hanji hobble away. "Well, this place is quaint, not exactly like my home but...there's people here, very lively with all the fresh air, the trees...much better than the stench the port brings in. I may even decide to stay here rather than Seattle."

Ymir scoffed and looked over at the river once more, giving a final passing glance before looking ahead of her. "Trost has that sort of effect on one. Very much nature all around you, good for the soul."

Their gait was slow as though they were taking their time.

Soon enough, Krista inquired,"I have to ask...why aren't you in a dress?"

"Gets in the way of work, hate wearing corsets, absolutely suffocating," she said briefly,"no one really minds...at least some of the miners that pass by are women dressed as men once in a while."

"...are you from the South?"

"What sort of question is that?"

"I mean...your skin, it's rather...tan," Krista said, trying not to offend her.

"I'm not African if that is what you're wondering."

Krista gave a slow nod, this woman may have been one of the Natives that used to live in the area, she heard they were sore over what happened but curiosity of the new world got her tied up. "So you're from here."

"I'm from before here, here as Trost," Ymir said, she was too vague. "Sounds strange but it's only sense to ones who're the same."

Must be a local thing.

Soon enough, they arrived at the clinic, Ymir releasing Krista from her hold. "Here we are, Doc's clinic."

Krista thanked her gratefully from the porch and watched Ymir walk away, whistling to herself down the street and then disappearing beyond the people. Once out of sight, Krista gave a slight smile and went inside the office.

-...-

"Looks like someone did a number on her," Hanji murmured as she examined a leg that was disconnected form the body a few feet away. She pinched the skin, watched it recede, and got up. "No one saw this happening?"

Levi shook his head, leaning against the tree and watching her. "Isolated, far from the town...near those savages' territory, one more inch and the head would have been in their land."

"Don't call them savages, they're more than that...and I don't think this would be one of the locals," she told him,"they'd have left some sort of sign it was their doing. No marks, no arrows, nothing. Who spotted this?"

"Eren, he and Mikasa were doing patrols around here as per order from Erwin."

"Those two then...hm, this thing looks like it was killed at least a few days ago...already rotting out here," Hanji surmised. "...I'd like this back in the lab, I'll study it some more."

"Every corpse you bring, they all are the same, there wouldn't be a difference, I'll have the boys pick her up, bring her in as you need. Already been a year of this yet everyone doesn't know."

Hanji shrugged. "This is a boom town, everyone comes and goes, no one permanent, none would care. She would hardly be missed. Have Erwin double up patrols around the place but keep out of the boundary."

She hobbled back out into the forest as Levi spoke out,"What of the girl?"

"She just settled in, it won't help if you crash everything down on her!"

Hanji merely shrugged as she went on, ignoring his words as he yelled at her. She stamped on, going by the trees, then she stopped, staring at the thicket.

"You there again?" Hanji asked. "Levi?"

A twig snapped behind her, she turned around, only to find something. She sniffled, wiped her nose with her sleeve, and then adjusted her collar. Must have been a little animal, something. She turned again, only to find a woman cloaked from head to do in black, like a mourning gown. A veil covered her face, as if she were still mourning.

"Who're you?" Hanji asked, her cane now in both hands, her firm hand on the grip. "Who are you? I'll call for help, and I have to say, my friend's a dead shot."

"It is coming."

"Who are you!?"

"It is coming."

The woman made to walk backwards, as if blending into the darkness.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Hanji snapped, she looked over her shoulder for a moment. "Levi!"

Once more, she looked ahead, it was gone. Whatever it was.

She looked around frantically, trying to find the woman. She went to the trees ahead of her and banged her cane on the strong trunks, infuriated and confused.

She grunted as then took out her revolver, firing it at the canopy above, trying to get the woman to appear again. As she readied to pull the trigger again, a hand grabbed her and she cried out, startled.

"You really are a madwoman!" Levi barked.

"B...but," she began, she pointed the barrel up. "T...the thing, this woman in mourning, she was right here! I saw her, I did!"

"If you can barely keep your head together, I doubt you could teach that girl anything!"

Hanji paused, her eyes grew wide, hands wrenching themselves out of his grip as she went to shake his shoulders. "The girl, the girl! Oh God, the girl!"

"Speak sense, you freak!" He demanded, she would always spurt words out whenever she realized something. "Hanji! What about the girl!?"

"Got to go! Keep an eye out! I need to tell her! Tell her now!" She then rushed out and headed onwards herself, to where their horses were tied up. "You're bloody right, she needs to start!"


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

When Hanji burst through the front door, she nearly stumbled upon the threshold, cursing out as her other hand went to grab at the wall, catching herself. She brushed away at her slacks and hurried down the hall, barely running into Jean. She dodged him and uttered to him,"Back so soon, fool of a man, or idiot I say, go home and rest, don't be up and out!"

"Doc, I just wanted to-"

"Out of my clinic, thank you, five dollars at the front desk, Moblit, take care of him!" She briskly snapped. A few turns here and there, then a hobble down the hall, she adjusted her glasses when her hand wrapped around the doorknob of Krista's room. Oh, manners, manners, never forget that. She knocked with a huff. "Krista? Are you in here?"

"Come in!" Came her young voice, bless her for sounding like an angel.

Hanji came in, looking ruffled up. She closed the door behind her as she slowly walked over to the fireplace, stooping low to grab a dry log and toss it into the flames, she then went over to the kettle to grab it and hang it over the fire, heating the water. "Tea? Very calming to myself..."

"I'm quite alright, thank you...Doctor," she told her, Hanji turned to see her holding a book, she had closed it. "Can I ask...why you came all the way here for tea?"

"Well, this is the tea room, where else will I go?" Hanji asked, sitting down in the nearest chair and then using her cane to point at the various boxes. "From England, from China, even India, I never leave home without them...neither does Levi, hands off the black tea, yeah? Besides, I need someone to watch over them as I can't be in two places at once."

"Tea...don't get stolen, I'm pretty sure that they can fend for themselves."

Hanji gave a chuckle, then smiled at her as best she could. Oh, how much she wanted to speed this up. Slow, take it slow, remember.

"Are you alright, Doctor?"

"Yes, yes, the ride has gotten me all riled up, feel like I could talk a million words a minute, which I do, though I really can't. Ah...Krista, are you doing well here?"

"I've only been here less than a day. The air here is good, clean, very good, as Ymir would say it's good for the soul."

Hanji nodded. "Ymir, right, that woman. She's a bit cold and a bit stone but she's strong, very much so. Tell me, Krista...what do you think of her eyes?"

"I...um, I never really looked at them, plus, she's rather tall," Krista recalled, slightly frowning, she perked up,"are you asking me about my issue?" Hanji stared at her, as if waiting for her to answer her own question. "My whole issue...where every time I look at their eyes, I see things? _That_ issue? If it's about that, then I'll tell you to keep off my back about it, it's enough my father has everyone call me a madwoman, locking me up."

"Then you are aware of it-"

"Which is why my father sent me here."

"Oh, no, no, no," Hanji tried to comfort her, she got up when the kettle whistled. She got it out with an iron bar and then went to pour it into another kettle, to where she began to ready the tea. "Well, yes, true, but it's not an issue, Krista, trust me, I'm a Doctor for this sort of thing. I'm not here to experiment and poke at you, I'm here to help."

Krista's sharp glare softened, she began to relax as her voice grew calm. "Then you know what it is, don't you?"

"M-hm. What you have is not an issue, but rather a gift...you can see, Krista, see things that others can't and what others have. Very few have this gift, oh, very few. I would have told you this later, when you've grown accustomed to being here, but times are changing, and they are changing faster that how much we need it to be. Listen closely, Krista, it's time I tell you who you are."

Hanji had steeped her tea, then looked at her pocket watch to keep time to make sure that it was perfect. She sat back down, reaching out to Krista and taking the book away from her, settling it on the table next to her. She leaned forward against her cane, looking at her though she looked away, not wanting to _see_ her.

"Krista Lenz...or rather, Historia Reiss," Hanji addressed her,"you were born eighteen years ago in an estate a few miles away from Berlin, Germany, in the Reiss Manor, though in the backrooms where the servants are. Child of the man of the household, you were tucked away for years until he decided to go to America, taking only one person with him, his bastard child...because you were the last of your half brothers and sisters."

Krista stared at her, mouth open, in shock. This woman, this odd woman, whom she met only a few hours ago, had decided that it was time to rewrite her history, break what she knew, and expect her to just accept it. She was in the middle of nowhere, and the doctor was the only civilized being she could even speak to- it was one thing for her father to send her all the way out here but it was another to let someone else explain anything at all.

"Brothers and sisters?" Krista asked.

Hanji nodded slowly. "Yes, they were there, but they are long gone. You see...they were all murdered, their mother, them, and even your own mother- brutally slaughtered by a creature of horrid creation. Like animals. Ah, hold on."

She grabbed the book again and placed her hand upon the face of it, she muttered something, then opened the book in the middle. She handed it back to her.

"Go on, look."

Krista did so, her eyes grew wide like saucers.

Within the book was a picture of a...creature, a monster. A man whose feet were of hooves, the legs were of fur, going up to his waist, then turning into the torso of a man, going up to a face that is blurred. She dropped the book to the floor in shock.

"I...I was just reading Thomas Hardy!" She exclaimed, Hanji merely chuckled and sat back. "What did you do? A parlor trick?" She grabbed the book and flipped through it, everything contained pictures of the creature even more, then of some writing she couldn't read. "It's rather impressive, I give you that."

"What I did was called Magia, magic, if you will, very basic, beginner's stuff really," Hanji said,"and it's much more than what you've been told. Much more."

Krista closed the book and had it on her lap.

"There are many who can perform it, given the right training and proper techniques to work with, it can be learned but only by the skill and energy one has to do so and you, my dear girl, are teaming with it, all just waiting to burst out. But there are things you must prepare yourself for before you can tap into those reserves within you. Else...well, you may bring about the end of the world."

She stood still, stiff. "Pardon?"

"You have a certain power certain practitioners of Magia desire, dear girl. Something that others go to war for, kill their own family, wipe out entire nations, even go mad themselves- you were naturally born into being able to learn it." Hanji snapped her fingers as though to show her how quick she could. She got up and went to fix herself tea. "It takes years to master even the basics, as for me, I was lucky and I simply had a passion for it, but as for you, Krista, you're different."

Hanji had two cups ready, carefully she gave one to Krista then sat down with her own. Krista stared into the whiteness of the tea, it looked so clean and well done, she waited for it to cool off a bit. "Different...how?"

"You were born with the gift many want. Hm, there was a little girl...in the middle of December, outside she went to the back of her little shack where servants lived. Outside on the red lined snow was her mother, dying against the wall- she knew not who did it, but she looked into her mother's eyes. There, she saw a man in a hat, dressed in black, knife in hand, oh, it was one of her father's associates."

"Kenny Ackerman," Krista recalled.

"And why did he kill your mother?"

"Because of me."

Hanji nodded, then beckoned her,"Drink the tea, Historia."

Slowly, Krista sipped, feeling her cold blood warm up from the liquid. "I...knew it was him. I didn't see him do it, but I just knew. It could have been anyone...I thought he was going to do it to me a few weeks ago but..."

"You looked in his eyes and knew he was taking you elsewhere, correct?"

"Yes."

"You can see what others cannot yet know of, that's the gift of you ever since you were born. You see the truth of things. A rather unique gift...I never been able to learn it," Hanji sighed,"wouldn't need to, though, I have my own talents to utilize."

They sat in silence for a while, letting her think, though Hanji moved on.

"Dear girl, you will find better use among us than over in Seattle," she said reassuringly,"no more being in wait, no more galas, no more...pompous lives of the filthy rich, none of that when you're with us."

Krista was perplexed by this, enough for Hanji to notice her eyes looking left and right. "I'm sorry, but...how is this better than being back there?"

Hanji bit her lip for a moment, looked out the window, then back at her, finally telling her,"You will have a greater purpose for existing."

The blond's mouth hung wide open, surely she hit a nail within her. She dropped her cup on accident, letting it spill to the floor- shock, utter shock. Hanji gave her a slight smile, then got up, going to her to kneel down and stroke her hair.

"You don't need Magia to know when someone's been tucked away all her life. I am a doctor, after all, oh, come, girl," she told her as Krista bent over and began to weep.

-...-

Night fell over the town.

Lights were left on, drunkards wandered the streets, and the brothel was busy as ever, attending to tired men and entertaining them. It was rowdy as usual but always, at the clinic, there was some form of peace in that area.

Within the clinic was a drawing room where family of patients can wait. Inside, there was a pool table, a chess table, then several more tables and chairs, then a few bookshelves for light reading. It was neat and organized, very much having a taste of domesticity out here in the unlawful lands.

It was here that a group gathered, drinking wine and tea, relaxing after the day's end. Only two were absent from the gathering, as was their order to protect the town and establish perimeter. Hanji entered the room, Krista was ushered in, confused by all the people inside.

"Now, dear girl, I want you to get familiar with their faces," Hanji said to her as she led her around and sat her down at a table. Moblit came by and gave the two ladies some wine. "They will help you throughout your time, these are the people you will rely on."

In a table nearby were hour people sitting at a table together. A young woman wore a white button down shirt which was covered over by a vest, then her skirt was a dark green.

"That one there is Sasha Braus, came from Ireland- expert in hunting and tracking," Hanji explained, drinking her wine,"she eats her paycheck within getting it, she's good with her instincts though."

A bald man sat buy her, shorter than her, though he was laughing and having a gay time with Sasha. He looked a bit young and roughed up.

"Connie Springer, New York, fast as lightning but dull as a fly...we have him for decoy though."

The second man, his two toned hair was hard to miss, Krista remembered him from earlier when he was leaving the infirmary. He had his arm in a sling, he seemed to be in pain but he was doing his best not to show it. Next to him was another, whose freckles and kind smile were hard to miss.

"Then Jean Kirstein...his a spitfire of a young man but he's good with horses and strong enough to lead a team of any. He's our best driver until a few days ago, bear attacked him, he'll heal up except the horses, lost two that day. Then Marco Bodt, Italian priest ordained just last year, we always need a good prayer."

Krista gave a slow nod, memorizing them easily, then Hanji shifted her glance over to a table of four, only one woman among them.

"Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Gunther Shultz, and Eld Gin," she recalled, counting them off of her fingers,"they're from Germany, sturdy bunch and all. Mercenaries that were formally witch hunters, best we've hired in years."

A pair of a woman and man stood against the wall, talking to one another, laughing as the man smiled as bright as her. They were comfortable with one another until a short man approached, ruffling the girl's hair lovingly. She playfully shoved his hand away as she handed him a grog.

"Farlan Church and Isabel Magnolia, France, and they work directly with Levi, also from France...one of the most seasoned hunters we have."

"But they're so young," she told her.

"Don't let looks fool you, they know what they're doing. As for the other three, two are in training and the other is our historian and future tactician should anything happen to me- as of now, I'm standing Commander, the former one is still around though he's not getting that much action since the incident."

There was no one else to name, it seemed that Hanji's little band was all she had- she drank to them and listened with a lazy smile. Krista looked around some more, finding one face missing out of all of them. She gave a little shake to Hanji to catch her attention, the doctor glanced at her, waiting for a question.

"Ah, where is Ymir?"

Hanji merely shrugged, telling her,"Lord knows where she's off to."

"What is she?"

"Someone who decided to pop by and stick around. She works with us from time to time but never exactly wants a permanent position, so far, she's proven herself useful, never harmful to us. She's by no means ours, though if I had a say, she's really knowledgeable of the area," Hanji recalled- a toll from a bell of a chapel from a distance came in, silencing everyone.

Each man and woman stood up and headed for the door. Hanji got up as well, taking Krista's hand and guiding her out of the clinic and into a barn where the group went off to, arming themselves with guns and blades. Horses were being readied and a cart was wheeled out.

"I want Levi on the offense, Eld, you guys hold the perimeter, as for the rest of you, fish out the demon but do not kill her! Marco, I need you to contain her!" Hanji ordered as she hopped into the cart, bringing Krista with her. She held to Hanji's arm as she whipped at the horses and the rest followed closely, enclosing all around her in a tight formation. "First demon hunt and it's hardly your first night here, consider yourself lucky, Krista!"

-...-

Buried deep in the forest was a path that was hardly used, as if no one tread for years. They rode on, going into a clearing where a church stood, decrepit and ancient looking despite being built perhaps a decade or so ago. The steeple was bashed in, bullets riddled the door, as did a few arrows, then the roof had seemingly collapsed.

Hanji halted her cart as everyone else tied off their horses to keep them safe.

She drew out a revolver from her coat, bringing it up and making sure it was loaded. Once she approved of it, she nodded to herself and faced Krista. "Alright, Miss Reiss...what do you see?"

"I just see a broken church, worn down over the years," she said to her as though it were the most simplest thing.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. Demons prefer to house themselves in something that's been forgotten," she told her,"that place is a perfect hideaway for anything from Hell. Old, forgotten, unattended, no priest to ward the evil out, it's just perfect!"

Moblit walked over to her, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "If you're doing what I think you're doing, Commander, please don't..."

"What's the point of doing nothing!?" Hanji exclaimed, she threw her hand out though Moblit and Krista ducked at her waving her gun about. "We wanted our hope to come and here she is! No use in not trying her out!"

Moblit gave a slight whine and sighed, defeated by her persistence. He decided to go help out the others in having orders reached.

"What are you doing?" Krista dared to ask.

"Simple, you're going to _talk_ to a demon!" She told her, smiling broadly. "Worry not, you got the best of the best out here, and if anything goes wrong, we will ensure that you're safe!"

"Why don't _you_ talk to it!? You're barking mad, goodness!"

Hanji shook her head and limped off. "I'm not _you_ , dear. Come, come, stand by Marco...besides, I tried talking to one, didn't go so well." She tapped the revolver to her leg. "Just ask it what its name is and why its here, really simple."

She left her alone with Marco the priest, he was wearing his cassock, a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in another. He gave her kind eyes as he asked of her,"Will this be your first time seeing one?" She nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be here, right beside you. Just do what you have to do and if it's too much, you're free to retreat."

A bell was wrung, a small one, signaling everyone to be at their guard.

The cold air surrounded each of them, causing Krista to cover herself more better with her coat. Marco closed his eyes and began murmuring something, a prayer of sorts, in Latin. She gulped and waited, tense.

"Our Father..."

Now in English.

There was a thud from the church, whatever it was made it, definitely there and alive. Krista fixed her eyes on the entrances, keeping careful watch over each one, awaiting for the monster to come out.

Marco's prayers were growing louder as he no longer murmured, as if he were preparing for the worst.

Krista merely blinked, then it was there.

Pale like the moon, eyes absent, in their places was a pitch black. Its teeth was elongated, long, and between them were hisses that sent shivers down her spine. She froze at the terror from the sheer position it took, crouching and wearing nothing, showing its bony stature and long, sharp claws, threatening her. It tried to attack, swinging its arm forth but something blocked it, almost like an invisible wall.

Marco's prayer was repeated over and over again, yet she was overcome by fear.

"...in earth as it is in Heaven..."

 **"Go ahead, pray,"** it mocked, voice sharp and raspy, **"go pray to your God..."**

"W-who are you?" Krista squeaked.

It looked directly at her, those black eyes...so deep and foreboding. **"Who am I?"**

"Y...yes..."

 **"You think you can just simply ask me my name?"**

Krista still stared. It was like looking into a pit of darkness, voices rang in her head, horrid screams of souls that this beast had taken. She concentrated, then heard one name, one name that the souls cursed.

 _Xaphan!_

"Xaphan!" She breathed out.

The demon screeched in her face but was still held back. It roared furiously, **"HOW!? HOW!? _HOW_!?"**

The very name of the demon was scaring it, she grew louder. "Xaphan! Xaphan!"

 **"SHUT UP, YOU WHORE! YOU MUST NOT SAY MY NAME!"**

"Xaphan, what are you doing here!?" She cried out.

 **"IT IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN!"**

"WHAT WAS IT!?"

"Krista, the barrier is weakening!" Marco yelled over them. "He's angered, you have to leave it!"

She stared into his eyes once more, the darkness again, but this time, something was moving in there. A spectral, something horrible, much worse than what was standing before her, seething. Without another break in its screams, the demon lit the grass aflame in its little prison, breaking the seal too quickly.

Marco grabbed Krista and ran off with her, heading for the cart where the demon pursued them.

"FIRE AT WILL!" Hanji barked as she shot several bullets at the demon, though missing it. It leaped over the cart and into the brush, disappearing into the darkness. Hanji brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a sharp whistle, another signal. When their area was cleared of the demon, she gathered Historia in her arms. "Are you alright, dear? You did well..."

"Xaphan...it left, i-it left," she stammered, quaking as Marco went off to cool down, going to Jean. Moblit had the courtesy to get her a mug of water, she drank quickly. "I...it's-"

"Worry not, my team will take care of it," Hanji assured her, holding her close. "Deep breaths, girl, deep breaths, that's it, drink up. There you go."

Krista managed to calm her breathing as she stared up at Hanji with wide eyes. "Xaphan...it knows something, the darkness. It's coming."

"The darkness?" Moblit inquired.

She nodded shakily. "Y...yes, the darkness, it's coming back."

Hanji and Moblit looked at one another, then back at Krista.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

"The darkness is what she told me," Hanji relayed to him as she sat in his office, she took a sip of the whiskey, downing it easily.

Erwin was left with the paperwork after his decommission as a way to recover from his loss of an arm. Normally, it would be Hanji's task but they had to switch off as Levi refused to take part in either of their roles- he was a soldier to the core and was meant to be so.

"Is that what she said?" He mused, he took a drink himself, whetting his lips. "That's probably the worst news I've heard in months...other than, well, losing my arm."

"It's not to be taken lightly," she said grimly, she brought out a single piece of parchment, yellow and faded though the ink was enough for anyone to make out an image by candlelight. "Found this in Xaphan's hideout. I recognize, up there in Babylonian, the only word on it." She placed it down and he looked at it further, scrutinizing it. " _Darkness_."

"Before there was light, there was darkness," Erwin reminded her,"darkness always comes first before the illumination."

Hanji nodded. "Yes, yes, but it's coming back, she said, or what the demon knew. But what darkness is it, exactly?"

Erwin placed the parchment down and drank once more. "It may be the very thing that brought us here. Recall the Natives here, every society has got to have some sort of belief, a religion, something."

"The only source we have is off fighting demons and yet never makes a single word about herself or what she's been here for," Hanji mused, she rubbed her chin. "We try to be hospitable as much as we can, never seems to be enough. Can't blame her at all for it, United States thought it right to set the people ablaze."

"Levi thinks it's best to restrain her," he said,"but she's not like Eren, she won't be as compliant as him."

Hanji whistled a low pitch and leaned back, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lord knows what Ymir would do to humans. Suppose the best we could do is wait, though time isn't on our side."

Erwin agreed with her. "Never was. Say, Hanji, are you alright?"

"Pardon?" She asked, eyes flickering over to him as she reached for her whiskey once more.

"He told me you were seeing things again yourself, Levi, you remember? Out in the forest?"

"I'm quite alright. As long as it doesn't interrupt me in my work, I will be fine. Just...ah, still recovering is all," she assured him. Her free hand went to rub at her bad knee. "Keeping myself monitored, it's controlled, and Moblit is trustworthy."

"Then I trust you, Hanji."

-...-

Morning saw itself clearer than the waters of the river.

Krista spent her time in her room, pondering over what she had seen, heard, felt, the terror of the darkness.

The curtains were drawn back to let the light of the sun come in, it was a graceful beam that she situated herself by, basking in the light. It felt like the sun was the only comfort she could have to succor her worries. The warmth, the radiance, it was safe. She breathed deeply, inhaling slowly, then exhaling just as slow. Her front was on the bed, she let the rays soak through the cloth and unto her skin.

Every so often, she would drift off into sleep as though the horror never came to her the night before.

"Hey..."

She opened her eyes and looked to the door to find it open, she never heard it creak.

The woman from yesterday, Ymir, was walking over to a chair next to the bed to sit. She relaxed herself as she removed her heavy coat. "Heard you went and spoke to a demon."

"What? Oh, that," she told her, she curled up against a pillow and heard it. "...I'd rather not talk about it, I apologize."

"Well, I'd rather talk about it. Not everyone can speak to a demon, let alone get it to reveal its name, good work back there is all I'm saying," she praised her. "Come on, up, get the life back in you. If you stay in shock for too long, you go mad. Your hair's already showing signs of it, let me help."

She offered her a hand, hesitating for a moment before she remembered Hanji's advice.

These people are here to help. Marco did the same for her last night, and Ymir was told about to her, she had to be trustworthy like him.

Krista took it and was helped up to sit. She faced the sun again as Ymir moved her seat to the bed, her hands running through her blond locks as though to comfort her. She reached to the bedside table for a brush and ran the teeth through it.

"Father used to braid my hair often," Ymir recalled,"always did the trick when I needed to calm down."

Krista stayed quiet.

"You must have been very scared," Ymir tried to comfort her,"first time to face a demon, not always the best. They play your fears against you, some are better at it than others." She busied herself taking out the knots, it was ruffled up from the night before. She winced at the sharpness but it didn't stop Ymir. "Don't worry, with us, you're in good hands."

"...it was looking into darkness," she told her,"just utter darkness. It...it felt like the life I was living was a complete lie."

"Truth be told, it must have been if you were living with mortals who never perform Magia," she snorted and placed the brush to the bed. "Science, government, civil society, they always overlook the possibility of spirits. The world has just started opening up for you...and these people, they are exactly what you need."

Krista merely huffed. "Don't tell me you're the welcome party in this."

"Not at all. I'm just here because not everyone can talk to a demon and come out unharmed, you're either dead or you go mad. Insane, really," she said as she went to braiding her hair, all of her locks going into one braid. She did it carefully. "You're the talk downstairs. Even Levi was impressed with what you did, and he's thicker than a brick wall to think of high opinions of others."

"I didn't come here for the sake of garnering attention from anyone, I just wanted to have peace of mind...and understand what Hanji just told me about myself, this world. I suppose things don't go as planned," Krista sighed.

Ymir chuckled.

"...the Darkness was what I never expected, it goes beyond anything sane," she murmured.

"Whether you want to be involved or not, whatever you were born with tied you into this," Ymir frankly said, her lightness in voice disappearing. She tied off the braid with a bow and straightened it, then she got up to sit back in the chair. "My people believed that we are born for a purpose in life. Sometimes, women are born to be warriors, men are born to be weavers. For you, it's to be the apparent harbinger the Darkness."

"Then you?" She asked as she reached to touch her braid- she found it to be neat and clean.

"I was born for something, just hadn't found it yet," Ymir told her,"no one figures out their purpose early in life."

Krista stared at her, then found her eyes. She wondered what her motive was to be there, to talk to her. They were a honey colored depth that she found warming to look at, though there was something inside that made her blink once or twice. Focusing on what she felt, she sought deeper into her, only to feel that warmth increase, suddenly burning until it became searing hot.

The screams of agony, a massive inferno, it was more painful than foreboding as that demon she stared down.

She shut her eyes, rubbing them for the burn to go away- she whined a bit before opening them once more, looking at Ymir again. She gasped for air as she asked,"W-what was that? What did I see?"

Ymir reached for her shoulder, taking it and rubbing her gently. "Here."

"Here?"

"Here," she confirmed, she then got up and helped her to lay down, tucking her in,"just sleep it off. That's all you need."

Krista nodded, listening to her boots thud away, the door closing shortly after. She curled up, still thinking about the endless fire- now the sun felt too hot. She threw off the blankets and drew the curtains forward, keeping her room dim, enough for her mind to cool off. Within seconds, she was back in bed- now the dark felt too cold, too empty.

She sighed and got on her feet once more, going to the curtain and holding one side back and using a book to pin it down on the bedside table.

Enough light and enough darkness.

She needed that.

-...-

"That's two horses we lost last night, that's a total of six we lost just this month," Jean reported to Levi; he was sitting down as his ribs were too much for the day. The barn was slowly becoming emptier ever time they had to go out on a run. "No word on Federal sending in more of them...we'll be out of horses by the time something difficult happens."

"Every fight we have is a difficult one," Levi told him, inspecting each stall save for the empty ones. "Though now we have that girl, it'll be a much more heavier fight the next time we see those abominations." He reached to his belt and got out a wallet for Jean, tossing it to him. "Go and buy a fresh team of horses at the dock. I can't have everyone running on foot, that's the last thing we need."

Jean nodded and heaved himself up. He walked out of the barn, going down the street until he reached the dock.

From there, he searched the market for new teams, then he came across the last person he wanted to see on a rough day.

"Ain't that funny, you come in, get two of my horses killed, then here you are, shopping around," Jean mocked her.

She merely shrugged. "They were in my way."

"At least watch where you shoot, for Christ's sake."

"Yeah, yeah," Ymir told him gruffly. "There was a demon on the way to this town, price to pay for having to fight them. I did my job last night, you do yours."

Jean brushed his hand through his hair, huffing indigently,"You're right there...say, you know what happened last night though, right? That demon spoke to that girl, little blond, yea high?"

Ymir nodded as she watched the horse trader lunge his horse in one of the pens, showing how well-worked his product was. "Pretty remarkable if you ask me, got this itching feeling she'll put a stop to this all. That's gotta be the first of something in years."

"Marco is very much excited about this, all of us are...if you ask me, we ought to up the security for her. Who knows what will try to get to her, who, even."

"As long as we stay quiet about her, she ought to be fine," Ymir mused, her attention was brought to a group of mares at the edge of the pen. "Say, what about that horse there? The buckskin one."

"Looks solid to me," Jean agreed,"she's in group with the driving horses."

"Good luck with shopping."

"Yeah..."

-...-

Time flew, from the light to the dark, when meals were given at the same times around the clock. Krista kept to herself in her room, none visited her as often as Moblit had done, and she felt better being away from the people.

Her mind had a difficult time wrapping around the concept of greater evils within her world, though she had to learn of it. One evening, she steeled herself and stepped out of her room, still dressed in a nightgown, and went off to the library in the building. From there, she took a book and brought it back to her room to read.

Demons.

That was the term used for those vile creatures. A known fact was that they were the corrupted servants of a higher deity, God, upon rebelling against Him. On the other side of the heavenly spectrum was the Devil, Satan, of which the demons answered to and followed. Their sole purpose in their torment was to tempt humans to do ill, to do the worst upon all, to corrupt the Earth as much as they were themselves.

Xaphan was a demon who used fire, though Marco had temporarily stopped him from burning the forest by his verses...

Krista grew more and more observant of what she was reading, wanting to discover more of the enemy. The more she read, the more she accepted that these beasts were real. It was then, when Hanji discovered her library was thinning, that she decided to begin training Krista.

Hanji flipped to the next card, discarding the picture to her desk. "Next image."

Krista stared at the blankness of it, her mind conveyed the ink on the other side of whiteness the moment she glanced into Hanji's eyes. The exercise had gone on for an hour and she grew to take hold of the basics. She answered,"Two suns, red."

"Correct, nicely done," Hanji told her, smiling.

"She figured it out in under a second, Doctor," Moblit reported, writing down the results. "After the break, she had less errors than earlier, only two."

"Wonderful!" Hanji said. She got up and limped over to her. "Your perception is really coming along, Krista, just keep working on it...but I must say, try not to look into the eyes of everyone here until I deem you well enough to do so."

"Hanji," Krista spoke up, Hanji went to her and rubbed her shoulder. "I've read up on the demons, I understand that they are Fallen Angels, correct? Well...where are the good angels themselves?"

Hanji worried at her bottom lip and beckoned her to stand up, walking her out of the room. "They only come when it is dire. Either by a single one or an army...just depends, dear girl. After all, God has plans."

"Suppose His plans for me must be intricate," Krista murmured,"I have to ask, though...there was only one mention of the angels. God's angels, I mean, a group descended upon the world to fight the demons on the ground, but they were never heard of again, like they were lost throughout history. What of them?"

"Who knows," Hanji told her,"that story is so old, the probability of them even existing at all all those years ago is low...then again, there are demons all over the world, so they ought to have been real at one point. No use in trying to find them, they are no longer among humanity."

Krista frowned and walked along with her.

Those angels, they had a name before, once, long ago. She tore a page out of the book and handed it to Hanji, upon it was a paragraph written in some ancient language, she couldn't decipher it.

"What's this mean?"

Hanji stared at the torn page, then handed it back to her. "I can't read that, Babylonian is not my specialty."


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

"Welcome to the lecture," Hanji announced to all who attended,"as you all know, with recent events, we need to review what we are doing."

The whole group was there, including Krista as she sat in the front row with a pencil and notebook. Hanji had several diagrams on the wall, winged beings drawn from centuries ago, then parchments of the accounts posted here and there.

Weeks passed, Krista had gained a foothold in her basic training, from reading behind cards, of changing images upon books, and even managing to light a candle without a match. They were all useful things for her, as she seen it, as Hanji told her these were convenient and necessary skills for later on.

"Our biggest enemy are the legions of Hell, demons," she began, clearing her throat. "To understand their function and powers, we must look at the angels. The last sighting of them was at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge when Constantine was told to don his mean in the cross. After that, there were scattered sightings throughout history but they are not credible. In recent times, they may have appeared during the Civil War, though accounts, once more, are impossible to clarify."

Hanji paced in front of them, watching each and every person though every so often she would glance at Krista the most.

Krista watched her, attentive to her words as she was telling her more than the books had done so.

"Getting on to the angels themselves," she continued. "Angels...wings for flight, that is a basic, they have an ability to speak in tongues, call upon celestial powers, wield fire, travel between planes of Heaven, Hell, and everything in between between, and can regenerate faster than humans, and finally, healing others."

"But us humans can do all that," Jean told her,"even more than most."

"True, though humans can only do that if they carry the blood of angels. As you know, some angels that stayed mated with others on this earth, then those children had children, and so on; demons have done the same. Every person has the potential to perform what we humans call 'Magia', some can actually do it better than others...which is why I couldn't heal your arm fast enough. As of right now, I'm a bit incapacitated to do that though my mind is sharp enough to lead.

"The angels that stayed, those are what we know as the Fallen, angels cast down purposely by God for their rebellion. Those are the true enemies and, as they are corrupted, they have grown into creatures of what we know today. Time morphed them into monsters, and each one is different, from that, we must know how to combat each of them differently. If not exterminated properly, it would be a threat to all."

Some of the people nodded and made sounds of approval.

Hanji brought her cane to the diagram of the angel.

"Because the anatomy is not so different from the angels, we have to look at this for reference. See here, here, and here." She pointed at the abdomen, above the heart, and the head. "These are common spots to end their lives. Or, if we go Marco's way, we banish them to Hell. Banishment is only a last resort if the demon is too powerful for us to handle."

"If we kill them, where do they go?" Krista asked.

"Easy, they become ashes, so do angels."

"Oh...and what weapons do we use?"

Hanji nodded at her question, liking her idea of what to do. She went over to the table and brought their attention to several firearms, ammunition boxes, and blades. "These...all are silver, each blessed by Marco. He spends a lot of his time doing this so all of you ought to be careful not to waste them all. These are meant to combat demons and also humans who have been tainted by demons or are born from the joining of human and demon. Mike, if you will..."

Mike nodded and was followed by Moblit, they left the room and then returned with an old man in a cage. He looked malnourished, exhausted, and scared.

"This man is actually a demon. You ought to know, also, that demons have the ability to look like humans- that is tricky as they can mimic them well. They can hold their disguise for years, even centuries, preying upon people until we catch them, kill them, and move on." Hanji picked up a revolver to load it, she whistled as the man rattled the cage.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME IN HERE! I HAVE RIGHTS, I'M AN AMERICAN, GODDAMMIT!"

"You, good sir, are far from an American now," Hanji told him, she then pointed the gun and fired as though it were a normal act. The man howled in pain as steam rose from his wound, she lined up another shot and forced his body to slump over. "Thank Mr. John Doe for his volunteering."

"How do we know if it's the right creature?" Krista inquired, shocked.

"We do test shots first, one to incapacitate them. If their wound steams like water boiling, give them the fatal shot as a second," Hanji instructed as the man let out a final breath and died in his cage, his body suddenly giving way as though all the liquid had been drained out of him. It began to crumble like a sand sculpture, quickly falling into small pieces and becoming nothing but ash and dust. "And then they do that."

Mike wheeled away the cage as Moblit went to sweeping up the mess with a broom.

"Most of the time, they will not be in a cage or even stay put. That's where Marco must restrain them, which is why we have our formations..."

The lecture went on and on, Hanji's voice droning for what felt like hours on end. However, the entire group remained respectful, knowing full well that she was what kept them alive. Battle formations, strategies, possible scenarios, it was all covered up until midnight where Hanji finished the lecture.

As people began to file out, Krista stuck around with Hanji, never knowing who to follow. She hadn't interacted much with everyone, so when Isabel's voice chimed, she flinched.

"What're are we to do?" The pig-tailed woman asked excitedly, her accent was thick, as was Farlan.

"Briefing, run-down, the usual," Hanji casually told them as she collected her slides from the projector. Organized neatly into boxes, Hanji made sure to keep such information preserved. "You two, and Levi, are to go North of here near the boarder of Canada, five day ride. There is possible demonic activity from the local tribe that needs to be checked on."

"Tribe?" Levi inqured, he approached as well.

"One of our Scouts went up there to work some sort of deal with them in return for their support, in turn, he returned instead without anything to show for it. The shaman attempted to cast the demon out of the village, man ends up dead. Without him, the village is unprotected for the meantime, no doubt the Demon has many free souls to have a hearty feast with."

"And the Scout?"

Hanji pointed at the cage. "That man we ended up killing for the lecture was already dead long before he returned. He was used as a Thrall, naturally, I thought it best to end him and it just so happened I needed a test subject. His age, his appearance, he was changed in the process of becoming a Thrall, everyone couldn't recognize him. By now, the Demon would have changed faces- I want the three of you to bring Krista."

Krista dropped her book, caught off guard by the declaration. Isabel got down to one knee and helped her out, Levi protesting,"It'll be too dangerous for her."

The good doctor picked up the box and began to head out. "She needs to learn of the dangers of this life or she will never be strong enough."

Levi huffed and crossed his arms, staring at the blond as she clung to her notes. "An escort mission...suppose we have to anyway- it'll be easier to track it down, given your little gift. We head out tomorrow morning, be ready at the stables with a fresh horse."

"Y...yes, sir," Krista murmured, downcast, the three led them out with Isabel hanging her arm over her shoulder.

"Don't be too down, young Miss, Brother is one of the best hunters," Isabel praised, laughing jovially. "Like Hanji said, you can't learn through only books. Gotta get out there and-" She held a fist to strike the air. "-un!"

They headed out to the tavern to have some drinks to relax. Many of the patrons were miners, traveling North even further, none of which seemed to be aware of the real problems that their little group had to face.

"So you are all from France?" Krista asked once they settled down in the corner, away from the people.

"Naturally," Farlan told her, he drank some of the whiskey and coughed a bit. "Oh!"

"We traveled here to America, at first for some more fun- taking on demons in the streets, it was getting rather boring. Away we sailed, off the coast of France to New York...we ended up causing a ruckus, then Erwin came by, told us we were just what he needed for the job," Isabel recalled- she was the more sociable of the group, Krista grew to like her. "Said that there was a better, cleaner and quieter way of doing things...I have to agree with him."

Pleasantries were exchanged, though throughout most of it, Levi remained quiet, arms folded, eyeing Krista. She couldn't understand him, not by the way he was looking at her. Whatever it was, she didn't like it, and she knew better than to look at him directly in the eyes.

"...we've been everywhere in France, went to Germany as well," Farlan recounted, he was collected, a stark contrast with Isabel. He shared some quality with Levi as he only spoke when spoken to. "We've seen things you wouldn't even think of."

"Not even in your wildest dreams," Isabel added.

"I'd imagine anything is beyond anyone's imagination," Krista told them,"but, um, Levi-"

"Corporal," Levi corrected her.

"-Corporal Levi, why is it that I have to come with?"

"Demons can change their faces, it takes only a second for them to manifest into another form," Levi explained,"what you have is perfect, it'll make this mission easier. You can see into their eyes, know who it truly is that hides behind a human."

So Krista was more like a bloodhound at this point.

He continued,"As long as you listen to my orders and Hanji's training, you will survive."

-...-

Sleeping crows were awakened when the barn doors flung open.

Many had taken to housing themselves inside, away from the oncoming cold, staying in the rafters yet the sudden movement disturbed them, prompting them to flee. Mornings were dreadfully chilling, enough for Krista's teeth to chatter as Isabel was helping her saddle her horse. Servants, if she ever left home, often had her work to ride.

Out here, people used their own hands to make it through life.

When Isabel fastened the last cinch, she patted the saddle. "Good to go. You do know how to ride, right?"

"I only ever rode side-saddle," Krista said, frowning,"you don't have any of those here, I take it."

Isabel shook her head. "We ride center, each leg on both sides. It's much easier that way."

She hefted her up into the seat- it felt highly indecent. Krista grew a bit red, laughing nervously. "Certainly different..."

"Welcome to the wilderness, anything goes," Isabel chuckled as she went and hitched her horse. She tossed Krista a blanket to fight the cold. "Don't worry, the horses will follow one another, you can use one hand to handle them."

"Thank you," Krista said softly, she gave her a smile, a first one in forever.

Levi and Farlan rode in front of them, indicating that they were to leave as soon as possible.

Without words, they rode out of the town, heading down a worn out trail that led into the thick forests- nothing but green yet in between breaks of the trees were small views of the water. The scent of the fresh air, it was what she needed, much more better than the Seattle smog from the industrial districts forming.

For once, Krista could breathe.

-...-

It was only for so long that Krista could revel in the great wonders of the endless forests.

The path they had taken grew more beaten down as the days went on to their destination.

People have used this path often. Along the way, some torches were set up, lighting the correct way to the village they had to attend to. As they grew close, Krista could no longer take in the clean air- it was heavy, stale, even choking. She sniffled a bit, looking about for any sign of people.

"Indians live here, that's what Hanji said," Krista muttered, her eyes following some villagers- they were dressed for the cold weather, furs and skins, slacks of hides and long coats of thicker hides.

Their settlement seemed humble enough, though she thought of it rather primitive. There was organization somewhere but Krista had little idea of what they were saying- it was obvious that all eyes were turned on the outsiders. No one tried to stop them yet the air was heavy with tension- that was what she was choking on.

She gripped the reins tightly, growing fearful of their wary gazes.

"Must be still sensitive over what happened," Farlan told the group as they rode through the center of the village. As they passed, people began to enclose behind them, curious over who they were themselves.

There was a longhouse raised above ground by a mound of dirt, no doubt it was a place of importance. Guards were posted there, their staves at the ready.

Levi dismounted from his horse and spoke, Krista had no idea what he was saying. It sounded nasally, rough, and yet smooth- his pronunciation of the words seemed to surprise the guards. Immediately they stepped aside, offering them to go through without qualm. One by one, they dismounted and let their horses be tied off to a nearby fence.

Krista stayed in between Farlan and Isabel, her eyes wandering, trying to comprehend the alien world she had been brought into. As though she were being comforted, Isabel grabbed her hand, assuring her that this wasn't the worst of it.

The door was opened by another guard, allowing them inside the longhouse where a bonfire of sorts was in the middle of it all, warming the home.

Levi spoke once more but an elderly man held his hand up to silence him.

"Enough," the elder kindly told him in English, though his dialect was very thick. "I know why you people are here. It was only a matter of time before one of you returned."

"We're here regarding the incident with the shaman."

The Elder nodded. "Yes, yes, he was trying to cast out the great evil from the lake in which we hold our rituals. Unfortunately, he perished, along with several others. Yet when we tried to find the bodies to burn them properly, they were nowhere to be found. That was when your envoy disappeared."

"He returned to us, but not as what he used to be," Levi went on, he glared at the man as though he had a part in it. Krista held tightly to Isabel's hand even more, the atmosphere was getting heavier by the moment. "He came back as the embodiment of evil."

"That is unfortunate of you...my condolences to you and yours."

He seemed warm when he spoke.

"...do you come from the American government?"

"If you consider it that way, yes."

"Then what if you give us more problems than help us?"

Levi extended his hand for Krista, to this, Isabel ushered her forward. Reluctantly, she took small steps, timid, until Levi took her hand and brought her to her knees in front of the Elder. Krista took this moment to stare into his eyes- she saw only the suffering of his people, the plagues that came and went, the harsh winters, his family lost over the years, she looked away.

"I do not understand," the Elder told them, perplexed by her.

He reached out to her, hand extending to touch her chin.

Yet when she looked down, all she saw were elongated talons, each attached to scaled appendages. She followed the arm up to his face once more, seeing only the darkness, something reaching out to touch her.

"G...get away," Krista murmured, too scared to move. She froze up when she looked deeper into his eyes.

No longer were they brown, not deep brown, only pitch black as night. It was like she was being dragged further into that tunnel void of light, she was forgetting how to breathe- she couldn't.

"Levi!" She heard Isabel bark. A pair of hands took hold of her shoulders and wrenched her away from the shadows, ripping her away until all she saw was the mild light of the fire. Isabel held to her, dragging her through the dirt.

In the silence, a fight erupted from Levi firing his revolver at the Elder, Farlan brandishing his daggers, guarding the two women as they tried to get to safety.

"W-what happened?" Krista asked, disoriented as Isabel dragged her to her feet.

"The Elder, he's the one with the demon in him, the village is filled with thralls, we have to get out of here!" Isabel hissed as they rushed around the longhouse, trying to find their horses. When a man appeared from around the corner, groaning, Isabel used her free hand to punch him in the face, sending him down the small slope. "Damn it!"

Hanji said something about demons changing faces quite easily, that they can changed people's appearances within a blink.

Krista got a hold of the horses, her hands shaking as she tried to undo their reins fastened to the fence.

Gunshots grew closer by the second, Levi and Farlan were trying to make their get away as well. Isabel seemed to have disappeared, drawing attention to herself to give Krista more time.

The horses whined, anxious of the sudden chaos that exploded.

She managed to get one horse loose but she wasn't strong enough to hold him in place- he bolted into the forest, leaving her with the rest. She untied another though this time she kept a firmer grip on the leather. Footsteps in the dirt told her someone was approaching, she never felt so relieved to see Levi but his frantic look in his stone, cold eyes and the blood splattered down his front alarmed her.

His hands were covered in what appeared to be black soot.

"Farlan- where is he!?" Krista asked as Levi hefted her up onto the horse. "Is he alright?"

Levi didn't answer as he got the other two horses loose, climbing onto one and leading another by his side. He kicked his mount's sides and urged him forward, Krista's horse followed.

The villagers were appearing like predators, emerging from various corners, fences, and even the buildings that were scarce. However, instead of attacking them, they dropped like flies, one by one, falling to the earth.

"Corporal?" Krista quietly murmured as they cantered out of the village and into the darkness of the forest, never looking back.

"I killed the demon who plagued this village...but we came too late, the demon had enough time to convert the people into the damned."

It was all he could tell her as though it made the most perfect sense in the world. She rode closer to him, her worries growing as she ventured to say,"Where are they? Farlan? Isabel?"

"Killed in action," was all he could tell her.

She choked on her breath.

Guilt seeped into her, filling her with grief.

-...-

Hanji sat back in her chair, hands folded neatly on her stomach as she listened to their report.

Krista sat in a chair off to the side, her hands shaking as their voices drowned away.

"...found her head smashed in on a post when we were leaving..."

"...and then Farlan?"

"Decapitated by the thralls that came in..."

Hanji let out a thoughtful 'Hm' and the two fell quiet.

"And the demon?"

"Dead."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Levi," Hanji said, it was all she could say.

An apology.

Krista dropped her mug, the wooden object clattered. Hanji tried to get up but Levi approached the girl as she wiped away at her face.

"Is she alright?"

"Just shocked," Levi told her as he knelt down in front of Krista, he placed a hand on her lap. She gasped at his touch, immediately she embraced him tightly. It was all she could think of, she needed comfort, her eyes swelling with tears.

"I...it was my fault, Levi," Krista uttered between sobs. "If I were fast enough, Isabel, s-she would have, she would have..."

"People die," he said, he wrapped his arms around her as well; he didn't seem to be the kind person that would sympathize but for now, him holding her back was enough. "It's just the price that comes with this sort of job."

"But she, she-"

Hanji got up from her chair, hobbling over to the two- she too got onto one knee and murmured,"I can take care of her, Levi."

Levi nodded, letting Krista go. He decided to take his leave, though his anger was shown when he slammed the door.

"They knew what they were getting into," Hanji softly said, she embraced her this time, allowing her to wipe her tears over her shoulder. "You shouldn't blame yourself for this..."

-...-

That night, underneath her, she heard banging and shouts.

Someone was utterly enraged, she flinched when her bed shook a bit from the mere force of something hitting the wall.

She could hear Hanji.

"I knew I should have sent you with extra reinforcements!"

Then Levi.

"Why the hell didn't you!?"

Then a third one, a man, he didn't seem to be yelling among them.

"Because I told her not to, you said that your team was capable of such a mission."

Levi.

"It was because of the girl that things got out of hand!"

Hanji.

"For God's sake, Levi, she's sleeping right above us!"

Levi.

"So what if she is? We would have found the demon ourselves-"

The man.

"-you said so yourself, the village was full of thralls. Things would have gotten out of hand in the first place."

Levi.

"Yes, but my team wouldn't be dead!"

Hanji.

"Then I'll give you a new one, those Germans, Erd, Petra, the other two, they will be yours!"

Levi.

"You can't just replace them like that! Erwin!"

Erwin, Krista figured out who the third voice was.

"Did you forget what you are, Levi? Or do you need a reminder?"

Silence.

The door opened, it suddenly slammed- Krista buried herself deeper under the covers some more as she found herself coming to tears.

Voices quieted down under her, becoming little more than murmurs.

Isabel's death, it was her fault after all.

Levi said so.


End file.
